The Tissue Procurement Shared Resource provides investigators at the University of Utah with optimally preserved tissues and cells from human subjects who have given their informed consent to participate in cancer research. Our centralized shared resource relieves many investigators from the need to prepare protocols and seek IRB approval to collect tissue and cells. It also reduces the burden placed on patients to evaluate and grant informed consent. Consented subjects are also asked for permission to link their tissue and cell specimens to medical information and authorization to use protected health information to improve study design and data interpretation. Confidentiality is provided by assignment of unique identifiers and award of a Confidentiality Certificate from NCI. Collected tissue and cell specimens are divided into fresh, frozen and fixed samples. Distribution is to investigators who follow a procedure that facilitates tracking of the samples. The outcome has been centralized procurement, storage, and distribution of tissues and cells for cancer research.